In recent years, the use of electric trolling motors for fishing has become increasingly popular. Normally, the electric trolling motor is used on the same boat with the main outboard motor, the latter being used to move the boat to a fishing area when it is turned off and the electric trolling motor used. When this combination of motors is used on a single boat, it is common to mount the electric trolling motor on the bow of the boat, although it can also be mounted on the transom at the rear of the boat.
When mounted on the bow of the boat, the bow mounting bracket and assembly is usually permanently affixed to the bow of the boat and commonly permits the trolling motor to be pivoted to a horizontal position out of the water and on the bow of the boat when not in use.
Frequently, it is desirable to remove the electric trolling motor from the bow mount assembly for safe storage. Since the electric trolling motor consists commonly of a vertical motor tube with a motor-propeller unit secured to the lower end and the control housing at the upper end, it generally is not an easy task to remove the troller motor assembly from the mounting bracket. Frequently, separation of the troller motor assembly from the mounting assembly involves the removal of several pins or other fasterners and is a tedious task that is not quickly and conveniently performed.
There is therefore a need for a connecting means between the troller motor assembly and the mounting assembly that will permit the two assemblies to be quickly and easily separated when desired. Preferably, the quick release separation should be accomplished without the use of any tools and must not interfere with the other components of the structure which are essential to proper operation of the electric trolling motor. Such a quick release feature should be simple to use and should not add significantly to the cost of the unit.